Published: February 28, 2022 I ORGANIZING

Whether you have a small or a large kitchen, an organized storage space is a must! As kitchen cabinets and drawers are used to store food, plates, glasses, pots and pans, etc., it’s best to maximize the space and keep things in order.

However, even if you have a large cabinet or drawer, it doesn’t mean that it will be neat and tidy. Sometimes, when we’re in a hurry, it’s just easier to shove things in there. After a few days, everything seems to be messy and cluttered. You don’t want that, of course!

In this blog post, we’ll show you absolutely great ways to arrange, store, and organize your food and kitchen supplies in cabinets and drawers.

But before that, here is some common decluttering advice:

a. Keep everything clean!

Before attempting to organize your cabinets and drawers, do a thorough cleanup inside, and make sure to sanitize the corners as well. Take out the drawers and see if you have things stuffed or stuck behind the drawers. Often, when drawers are overfilled, items get stuck in there!

b. Check all expiry date labels. Throw away items that are no longer fit for consumption.

c. Make sure what you put back in the cabinets and drawers are things you’ll actually use. For example, do you really need to keep a lot of plastic utensils or plates?

Now, we’ll discuss how to arrange and organize your kitchen cabinets and drawers.

1. Install pull-out drawers or rolling shelves inside cabinets

Your cabinets need to have shelves in order to maximize storage inside. Each shelf may carry the same kind of items. For example, in the photo below, the first shelf on the left carries condiments like ketchup, soy sauce, and hot sauce. 

If you have a cabinet without pull-out drawers, you can add drawers and install drawer slides and sliding rails, which you can buy from a hardware store.

2. Categorize items according to food group

For example, condiments, pasta, canned goods, etc. should each have an area for easy access.

3. Apply decanting 101

According to Simply Spaces, “decanting food products into air-tight containers extends shelf lives, reduces bulky packaging (creating space!) and makes it easy to see what items are running low.” For better organization, use stackable containers.

Gather up all your coffee and tea bags and place them in clear plastic containers. Same goes for party supplies!

4. Utilize the space on the inside wall

The space between the door of your cabinet and the drawers or inside shelves shouldn’t be wasted. Stick additional clear wall pockets for additional storage space.

5. Create compartments inside drawers

Storing kitchen items of the same category together will make it easier and faster for you to find them. Keep party items (paper plates, plastic cups, etc.) in one drawer but in separate compartments. Fold napkins and allocate space for them, too.

You can use plastic containers that cater to the shape of the item. Get clear plastic containers that are narrow so they can fit better in your drawer. Forks should be separate from spoons and knives, while wine and bottle openers should also have their own compartment. Same is true for measuring spoons and baking tools.

6. Label, label, label!

Labels are your best friend! Make a label for each group of items.

7. Properly store and organize candies, biscuits, and sweets

Look how delightful these candy drawers are! Store candies in small containers, preferably with a lid to keep ants from snacking on your sweet goodies.

8. Place regularly used items within easy reach

A practical tip: neatly stack plates and bowls together, putting those plates and bowls that are used more often on the bottom shelf or where they’re more accessible. The ones on the upper shelf or less accessible area should be those that you only use for parties or special occasions such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. In my home, we have special plates that we only use for birthdays, Christmas, etc., so we put them at the back of the shelf or on the top shelves of the cabinet.

9. Try mesh and ceramic pullouts for storing fruit

If you want to have an alternative to clear plastic containers, you can also use wire baskets. Wire mesh and ceramic pullouts are the best options for preserving your fruit longer, according to Moore Organized. They’re also durable and can carry heavy items such as canned goods, fruit, and vegetables in large quantities.

10. Arrange pans in cabinets using dividers, expandable risers, and lid organizers

Arrange pans sideways and according to size, using dividers to maximize the space in your cabinet.

Arrange lids from biggest to smallest with lid organizers, so that it won’t be difficult to find the lid that fits specifically with that pan when you’re in a hurry! Expandable risers are also great for arranging your pans so that you can layer them inside the cabinets.

Hang lids behind the cabinet door using pocket cookware organizers and handles to save space.

These organizers are also perfect for holding glass pans!

11. Store spices and dry goods in glass jars with a spice rack or a spice insert

Using glass jars is a good option when you want everything to be visible for easy identification. Glass jars also look chic in cupboards. You can arrange the glass jars standing upright using a layered spice rack or inside a drawer with a spice insert. I think this is way better than storing your spices in plastic bags where air can get inside.

12. Arrange plastic containers and lunchboxes according to size, using dividers

Same as pans, these containers are bulky, so it’s best to store them sideways inside a drawer using dividers.

13. Try wire shelves for liquor

Try buying 2- to 4-tier wire shelves to store alcoholic beverages together.

That ends our tips for organizing kitchen cabinets and drawers.

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